Elastic tire for vehicles.



Nt. 748,256. IPA'."E.1\TTED DEC. 29, 190,3.

E. M. BIRDSALLR ELASIIG TIRE FOR VEHIGLIEIS.l

APPLIUATIONFILED DEO. 9, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATESi EDGAR M. BIRDSALL, OF BUFFALOpI satentec'l December 29,-1903.

Ew YORK, AssIeNoR To DE WITT H.

BOTHWELL, OFf` TOLEDO, OHIO.

ELAs-rlc TIREl i=oR vEHlcLss.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Paten-t N o. 748,256, datedDecember 29, 1903- Appnmion ined December 9, 1901. serial No. 85,156.di@ modei.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR M. BIRDsALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Elastic Tires for Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in solid-rubber tires for wheels,and has especial reference to that class of tires wherein a rubber tireis placed and secured in a channel or trough-shaped met-al rim appliedto an ordinary wheel. At the present time such rubber-tired wheels havecome into quite general use, and it has developed in the use thereofwhere the rubber tire is continuous and is held in the metal rim bycontinuous tie rods or wires that in case of injury or damage to a partof the tire the same cannot be remedied or repaired in the ordinaryrepair shops or stables, but that the wheel must be shipped to themanufacturer at considerable cost and loss of time to the owner.

The main object of the present .invention is to avoid thisinconvenience, expense, and delay by providing a durable and desirablesectional rubber tire and fastenin'gs or holdings therefor which can beapplied to a trough-shaped or channel rim by the unskilled with ordinarytools, with little trouble, and at small expense.

A further object is `to provide the rubber sections -of the tire withretaining-bars which are embedded in and permanently secured to therubber, so as to maintain the form of the sections and cooperate withthe fastenings to prevent injury to the tire in use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis an elevation, partly insection, of a portion of a wheel-felly equipped with a channel-rim andrubber tire embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa plan view thereof, partlyin section. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the felly,rim, and one of the tiresections. Fig. 4 is a tranverse sectional Viewthrough the felly and rim, showing the fastening device and rubbertire-section in elevation. Fig. 5'is a perspective view of a part of oneof the retaining-bars forthe rubber tire-section. Fig. 6 is a transversesectional ing-screw for the fastening devices. Fig. 7 isa similar viewshowing another form of securing-bolt. Fig. Sis a fragmentarylongitudinal section showing a slightly different form of fasteningdevice.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A indicates a wheel-felly, a portion only of which is shown, and on theouter periphery of this felly is a metallic rim B, of trough or channelshape in cross-section, thus providing a circumferential retaininggroove or channel for the rubber tire. These parts are not of myinvention, and the precise configuration thereof is not essential, andthey may be considered to represent a portion of an old wheel to whichmy improvements are applied. f

C C represent tire-sections, usually made of rubber or other analogousyielding or elastic material. The tire-sections are similar and arearranged end to end in the channel of the rim. The lower portions of thetiresections aremade to conform to and fit snugly in the rim channel orgroove, and the outer peripheral or .tread portions of the sections areof any approved or desirable configuration. The ends of the sections attheir inner Aportions meet on substantially-radial lines, as indicatedat c, and their outer end portions are beveled and rounded off at c topermit the more ready introduction of the fas` tening devices in theattachment ofthe sections and to permit the sections to expandlongitudinally in use. Each tire-section has embedded therein in itsinner part a retaining-bar D, which is preferably vulcanized into therubber. The retaining-bar is trough or U shaped in cross-section, andtheside lianges are preferably serrated or notched on their upperedges, asat d, to insure a better hold and prevent creeping in the rubber. Theretaining-bar is thus very intimately and permanently connected with therubber of the section and cannot work in the rubber and cut or injurethe same. It also coper- `ates with the fastenings, as presentlydescribed, and prevents the tearing or breaking of the sections from therim in use.

In the forms of the invention shown in elevation showing a slightlydierent secur- Figs. l to 5 the bottoms of the retaining-bars IOC at theopposite ends project beyond the ends of the side Hanges to form bearingor engaging extensions d' for the fastening devices. The bearingextensions are provided with notches d2, which when two retaining-barsare placed end to end form a slot for the passage of a securing bolt orscrew. The fastening devices employed each comprises a plate or block E,having a countersunk bolt-hole e therein, and arms or studs e',projecting from opposite sides of the plate E. One of these fasteningdevices is placed between the contiguous ends of each tworetaining-bars, with its plate E resting on the bearing extensions d andits studs e extending between the side iianges of the retaining-bars.The retaining devices are held firmly in place to rigidly attach thetire-sections in the rimchannel by screws or bolts, as shown in thedrawings. In Figs. l, 2, and 4 short securing-screws F are shown, whichare provided with heads resting in the conntersunk holes in thefastening devices, and screw-threaded shanks, which pass through theslots formed in the adjacent bearing extensions of the retaining-barsand are screwed into screwthreaded holes f, provided therefor in thechannel-rim. A

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 the same fastening devicesare employed; but they are secured in place by ordinary wood-screws G,which pass through the slots in bearing extensions, registering holes inthe channel-rim, and are screwed into the wood felly.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 7 the fastening devicesare secured in the described relation by bolts H, which pass through thebearing extensions, rim, and felly and are provided with nuts h, screwedthereon on the inside of the felly.

The fastening device shown in Fig. 8 is slightly different from thoseheretofore described. Itis in the form of a T-headed bolt I, theopposite arms of the head engaging between the end portions of the sideanges of the adjacent retaining-bars and resting on the ends of thebottoms thereof. The screwthreaded stern of the bolt passes through therim and felly and is provided with a holding-nut '11. In this form ofthe invention the ends of the side flanges of the retaining-bars extendsomewhat beyond the ends of the bottoms thereof to provide openings orholes for the passage of the bolt-stems.

The ends of the rubber tire-sections are recessed at J to afford spacefor the fastening devices and permit the same to engage directly withthe ends of the retaining-bars. As the arms of the fastening devicesengage between the side flanges of the retainingbars, they are therebyheld from turning or working loose and cannot cut or damage the rubbersections.

By the described construction a wheel provided with the channeled rimcan be readily equipped with the sectional tire in the first instance orto replace an old tire whether of the sectional or ordinary continuousform, and any particular Worn or damaged section or sections can bequickly removed and replaced without disturbing the remainder of thetire.

I claim as my invention- The combination with a channel-rim, of anelastic tire surrounding the same and cornposed of separate sectionsarranged end to end and having beveled ends provided with recesses toreceive fastening devices, a separate trough-shaped metal retaining-baretnbedded and vulcanized in each of said tiresections and provided withportions interlocking with the material of the tire-section, andfastening devices arranged between the adjacent ends of saidtire-sections, and having portions located in said recesses in the endsof the tire-sections and seated in the ends of said trough-shapedretaining-bars to hold the tire-sections on the rim, substantially asset forth.

Witness myhand this 4th day of December, 1901.

` Y EDGAR M. BIRDSALL.

Witnesses: JNO. J. BONNER, C. M. BENTLEY.

